The invention relates to a device for counting moving objects such as eggs lying on a moving conveyor belt, comprising a lever which can be moved by the moving objects, a signalling element for generating a detectable signal as a response to a movement of the lever, and also a coupling and resetting mechanism for transmitting the movement of the lever to the signalling element and for automatically resetting both the lever and the signalling element during a decrease in the size of a portion of a moving object which is in contact with the lever after a preceding increase thereof and the associated generation of a signal.
Such a device is known.
In said known device the signalling element consists of an electrical switch which can be set in an open and closed position by means of an operating lever. The coupling and resetting mechanism consists of an oblong slider which is coupled on one side to the lever which can be moved by the moving objects and on the other side is attached to an end of a tension spring whose other end is attached to a fixed point. Between the two ends, the slider is in frictional contact with the end of the operating lever of the switch. The movement of said operating lever is limited by two fixed stops in a manner, such that the extreme positions of the operating lever correspond precisely to the open or closed position respectively of the switch. The movement of the lever which can be moved by the moving objects is transmitted to the switch via the slider and the operating lever, as a result of which a signal is generated. During a further movement of the moveable lever in a certain direction the slider slides over the end of the operating lever of the switch, said operating lever being up against one of its two stops. During a movement of the moveable lever in the opposite direction, the operating lever of the switch will be brought to its other extreme position by the slider, under which circumstances the switch is switched over. In a further movement of the moveable lever, the slider will now slide again over the end of the lever. During operation the end of the lever which can be moved by the moving objects is placed in the path of said objects. As an object passes, the end of the lever slides over the surface of the object to be counted.
Although the abovementioned device can be satisfactorily used for counting moving objects, such as eggs lying on a moving conveyor belt, the device has the disadvantage that the coupling and resetting mechanism is fairly difficult to install and to adjust. In addition, the satisfactory operation of the device is to a considerable degree dependent on the friction between the slider and the end of the operating lever of a switch. Since said friction is dependent on various factors, correct operation of the device is not always guaranteed.